Discaimer: I own nothing. This is just for fun
Desert
They're falling, falling through air and sand. John whimpers and cries and scream but he's still warm and alive beneath the arm Rodney has pressed over his chest. And he's thankful that Ian told him to go because if he has to die he dies rather next to John than to Ian.
But he doesn't die and neither does John.
The air is sticky and John breathes rapidly in and out and beneath the sweat Rodney can see tears at the corners of John's eyes. The boy is out of the seat and back, nearly crying in panic and fear. He wants to say something to John, something reassuring, but he knows there's nothing he can say, so he just places his hand shortly on John's thigh and it calms him until Ian of all people in this goddamn plane has to open his mouth and accuses John of bringing ill luck over them. It takes all the restraint he has not to wring Ian's neck but that would only upset John more and not be helpful at all, so he remains in his seat and just glares at Ian.
They burry Dr. Gerber and Newman in the sand and build crosses of some pipes. No one really knows what to say because they all are too busy thinking about heir own situation and when or if they're going to be rescued. Or if they all will soon be lying here beneath the sand.
It's what they talk about afterwards, after they have gotten their deadline: thirty days until the water runs out, so they have a bit more than a month if they're not rescued – and beside Ian none of them is delusive. None of them is important enough to risk anything for their rescue.
He looks at John but the boy casts his eyes to the ground and the keeps his mouth shut. He knows that John still broods over what Ian has said and he wants to grab him by his shoulders and remind him that Ian's a jerk and doesn't deserve to be listened to.
Later, he coaxes John away from the others, behind the plane and presses him against the warm surface.
'Don't think.' He whispers before he kisses John, challenging him not to think and by the way John clutches his back he knows that the boy tries, tries his best no to think, tries his best not to feel guilty.
But by the wetness on John's cheeks Rodney knows that he fails and it breaks his heart a little bit because John always was the optimistic one in their crew, quick to smile, quick to trust and Rodney's afraid what will happen to them if they lose John's hope.
If he loses John's smile.
And even if they survive, he's not sure if he could stand to lose that.
So they stand here in the desert, metres away from the others and try to crawl into each other's skin so they can treasure what they have and love in each other, but may lose so soon.